The Journey of Mastery: From Identification to Realisation
The spiritual path, in this framework, is a process of shifting our identification from the grosser to the subtler levels:
1. The Untrained State: Most people are fully identified with the Physical and Astral minds. They believe they are their body, their thoughts, and their emotions. Their reality is defined by sensory pleasure/pain and emotional highs/lows.
2. The Process of Training (Yoga/Meditation): Through practices like meditation, we learn to.
3. Witness the Physical Mind: To observe bodily sensations without being controlled by them.
4. Navigate the Astral Mind: To calm the emotional storms and understand the subconscious patterns, rather than being swept away by them. This is the “training” discussed in the initial chapter.
5. Penetrate the Causal Mind: To dissolve the deep-seated seeds of separation (the ego-sense) and access a state of formless awareness.
6. The Goal (Enlightenment): To transcend even the Causal plane and realise one’s true nature as the Universal Mind. This is not an intellectual understanding but a direct, nondual experience where the sense of a separate self vanishes.
7. Science, Phenomenology, and the “Proof of Absence” Revisited.
This model is even further removed from conventional science than the previous one. There are no instruments to measure the “astral plane.” However, its value is phenomenological—it provides a detailed and consistent map for describing profound states of consciousness experienced by mystics and advanced meditators across cultures.
NearDeath Experiences (NDEs) and OutofBody Experiences (OBEs) are often described in terms that closely match the astral plane: a sense of leaving the physical body, perceiving a reality of light and energy, and encountering nonphysical beings.
States of Samadhi in meditation are described as accessing causal (seedless) or universal (nondual) awareness.
The “proof of absence” argument becomes even more critical here. Dismissing these accounts as “hallucinations” misses the point. The model offers a coherent framework for understanding why these experiences have a consistent internal logic and profound transformative effects on individuals. It suggests they may be glimpses into broader layers of reality that our normal, physicallybound consciousness filters out.
Synthesis: The Integrated Path to Realising Goals
How does this expansive cosmology relate to the practical goal of training the mind?
The “Banter” is Astral Noise: The distracting mental chatter is primarily the activity of the astral mind—the uncontrolled flow of emotions, desires, and subconscious impressions.
“Training” is Astral Mastery: When we practice focus and awareness, we are not just calming the brain; we are learning to stabilise and purify our astral body. We are moving from being a victim of its storms to being the captain of the ship.
The “Gain” is Causal and Universal Alignment: When the astral body is calm, the causal mind (Buddhi, or intuitive wisdom) can shine through. Actions are no longer driven by fleeting astral impulses but are aligned with a deeper, causal purpose. Ultimately, the highest “gain” is to act from a place of unity with the Universal Mind, where action becomes spontaneous, compassionate, and perfectly aligned with the whole.